With 62% commitments already secured, the fund will invest in 15–20 high-growth startups across AI, spacetech, healthtech, and more
Hyderabad Angels Enters the AIF Arena
Hyderabad Angels Network (HAN) has officially launched its maiden Category I AIF, the Hyderabad Angels Fund (HAF), with a target corpus of INR 100 Cr (~$11.3 Mn), including a green-shoe option of INR 50 Cr.
- 62% of the corpus has already been committed, and the fund is currently in advanced discussions for its first institutional cheque.
- The initiative reflects HAN’s evolving strategy to institutionalize angel investing and expand its presence in India’s early-stage investment ecosystem.
Investment Strategy: Sector-Agnostic with a Tech Tilt
With the new fund, HAF plans to invest in 15–20 early-stage startups, focusing on Pre-Series A to Series B rounds.
- Target sectors include AI, gaming, spacetech, drone tech, fintech, healthtech, and other emerging technology domains.
- The fund will co-invest alongside VCs, offering ticket sizes ranging from INR 2–4 Cr, with follow-on capital reserved for high-potential scale-ups.
Beyond capital, HAF will offer mentorship and ecosystem support to portfolio founders, helping them build sustainable, innovation-driven ventures.
Fund Management & Leadership
The fund is spearheaded by a seasoned leadership team:
- Rathnakar Samavedam and Kalyan Sivalenka serve as Managing Partners.
- Pradeep Dhobale, former Executive Director at ITC, chairs the fund.
“With this INR 100 Cr fund, we want to identify credible founders across India and help them build companies that are both innovative and sustainable,” said Managing Partner Kalyan Sivalenka.
Portfolio Snapshot & Investment Thesis
HAF’s existing portfolio includes startups such as:
- Glynk
- Paathshala
- Freed
- Edutor
- Flexmo
Its investment framework emphasizes:
- Scalability of market opportunity
- Founder credentials and past execution
- Level of innovation and defensibility
- Customer access and ecosystem enablers
- Long-term value creation potential
Renewed Investor Confidence in Early-Stage Startups
HAF’s launch is part of a broader resurgence of interest in early-stage investing in India.
- According to Inc42’s Q3 2025 Indian Tech Startup Funding Report, over $9 Bn worth of VC funds were launched in the first nine months of 2025—exceeding all of 2024.
- Q3 alone saw $2.5 Bn raised across 25 new funds, with 17 of them focused on early-stage ventures.
Major firms like Accel India, A91 Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, and 360 ONE Asset have also launched early-stage focused funds in 2025, signaling renewed optimism in India’s innovation economy.
